


Yule Ball

by TwiceALady



Series: Hansanna for the Holidays [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Bittersweet, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Pining, Post-Canon, Romance, Slow Dancing, Unrequited Love, unspoken attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25224724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwiceALady/pseuds/TwiceALady
Summary: Once a year, for a single night, the kingdoms of the realm hold a ball.  Grievances are forgotten, wrong doings put aside, all for a single night. Anyone can meet and anything can happen, but all Hans wants is the perfect dance.*Hansanna for the Holidays 2019 - prompt fill for 1. Yule Ball* Originally posted on Tumblr December 1, 2019
Relationships: Anna/Hans (Disney)
Series: Hansanna for the Holidays [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827499
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Yule Ball

The Kingdom of Eldora’s Yule Ball had been his chance. His chance to have her back in his arms, however briefly.

And he’d blown it.

_One night._

For one night a year, kingdoms would gather to celebrate together, putting aside past grievances and conflicts, wrong doings and slights, and come together as one until the morning light.

This was the year he’d finally worked up the nerve to approach her. To ask her to dance. Only he hadn’t gotten the chance to. She’d inadvertently messed up his well thought out plan. Such an _‘Anna’_ thing to do.

He’d told himself he was avoiding her each dance in order to build up the momentum, the chemistry, the seduction—but he was also certain cowardice played an equal (if not hefty) part in it as well.

Each dance he’d managed to catch her attention while they were with different partners, making eyes at her as she was swept across the floor by other men in dance after dance. The way her cheeks would flush, or the way she’d quickly look away, as though not to be caught staring back at him.

It was perfect. He still intrigued her.

He’d even gone so far as to approach her, once again catching her eye and holding it as he made his way towards her, only to ask the woman beside her to dance instead. He hid a triumphant grin seeing her furrowed brow and lips slightly parted in silent outrage.

_Soon._

He played this game with her as each dance drew him closer and closer to the last dance—the waltz. The plan had been decided ages ago. He’d steal her, go against decorum and good manners and cut in. Scandalize the dancefloor. Take her from her final dance partner and make it memorable. The final waltz of the evening with her would be his. And it would be perfect. Flawless.

Only she’d left the ball before the final waltz had played.

He’d let her out of his sight for mere moments, to look up from the refreshment table and find her gone. _Gone._

No.

_No, no, no, no._

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. He was supposed to dance with her before the night was through. He’d _planned_ it.

Fueled by panic, desperate instinct took over and he moved. Set into action with a single goal in mind. _Find her._

He rushed from the ballroom, down the corridor, breaking into a run when he didn’t see her. He raced down the long empty hall leading to the palace’s grand foyer and doors. Startling the footman by bursting through the door like the devil was at his heels.

He bounded out into the snowy night, frantic to find her, looking about in every direction wildly.

_There._

There she was.

He spotted her almost immediately and almost at her carriage. He stumbled down the great stone steps, calling her name like a fool as he hurried towards her, lungs now burning and a stitch in his side.

At the sound of her name, she stopped. She didn’t turn towards him right away, but rather stood quite still, as though contemplating. When she did finally turn to him, the look on her face spurred him forward with more determination than ever.

Out of breath and panting hard, he reached her, stopping just in front of her and doubling over, wheezing, his cheeks flushed in crimson.

“If…if…you…could…” he asked, trying to speak between great heaving gasps of air, ‘do…me the…honour…of a…of a dance, my…my lady?” He straightened himself up and held his hand out to her feebly.

A tiny smile danced across her lips before she stole it away. “Yes.”

The music from the ballroom was faint and muffled, but he didn’t need a melody to dance. When he’d caught his breath and regained his composure, she placed her delicate hand in his and he led her into their waltz.

It wasn’t the grand, showy dance he’d planned, but a quieter, intimate sway, holding her closer than he would have with a ballroom audience. Alone but for a few foot and coachmen, he could extend some liberties that he normally would not have.

They danced together through the soft falling snow, the glow of the lamplight making her look ethereal in the dark. The moon shining over head. A perfect moment in time he couldn’t have planned in advance if he had tried.

And as he held her in his arms one last time, his heart ached for what could have been.

Now reduced to one night only.

She sighed, a sweet, wistful sound that he couldn’t help but echo.

A single dance wasn’t going to erase their past, but for the duration of this single dance, they would both pretend it could.


End file.
